Scotch Negroni
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 24.9% ABV ∙
The Scotch Negroni swaps the Negroni's gin for blended Scotch, stirred with rosso vermouth and a red bitter such as Campari. Smoky malt leads, with the bitter's orange-peel snap and a soft vermouth sweetness trailing into a long, warming finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Blended Scotch whisky 40 mlRosso vermouth 30 mlRed bitter 20 ml
- Strain into the ice-filled glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of block ice)
- Garnish with an orange wheel
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before straining so the drink doesn't lose its edge on contact with room-temperature glassware.
- Strain over one large ice cube or a block rather than small cubes to slow dilution as it sits.
History
The Scotch Negroni has no documented single inventor or debut date; it belongs to the broad family of Negroni riffs that bartenders and home mixologists popularized as the classic drink's template spread, simply substituting blended or single malt Scotch whisky for the gin while keeping the equal-parts bittersweet structure. The swap trades the gin's botanical juniper snap for Scotch's smokier, maltier backbone, and the drink is often built and served the same way as its parent.
That parent, the Negroni, is most commonly traced to Florence, Italy, in 1919, where bartender Fosco Scarselli is said to have strengthened Count Camillo Negroni's usual Americano by replacing the soda water with gin, adding an orange garnish to mark the change from the lemon-garnished original. This origin story is widely repeated but not universally verified, and the Negroni's history is disputed among several other claimants.
FAQ
What is a Negroni made with scotch called?
It is called a Scotch Negroni. This version replaces the gin in a classic Negroni with blended Scotch whisky, stirred with rosso vermouth and a red bitter such as Campari, then strained over ice and garnished with an orange wheel.
What is a dirty Negroni?
A dirty Negroni is a Negroni variation made with a splash of olive brine, giving it a savory, briny edge similar to a dirty martini. That is a different variation from the Scotch Negroni, which changes the base spirit rather than adding brine.
